Pitt Lake

The Pitt River begins in the Coast Mountains north of Vancouver, fed by icefields, glaciers and mountain creeks from inside the borders of Garibaldi Provincial Park. The river is broken up into two parts above and below Pitt Lake, the lower half is much shorter, as it merges with the Fraser River just after leaving the river (just east of New Westminster).

The lower river and lake are both tidal, as is much of the Fraser River Delta. The lake is the second largest in the Lower Mainland (behind Harrison Lake) and is surrounded by mountains in all directions. What an incredible place for adventure.

Pitt Lake is surrounded by three Provincial Parks; Pinecone to the west, Golden Ears to the east, and Garibaldi to the North. While it’s not “protected”, it is still very much untouched, and a spectacular place to visit if you have a chance. There are many great hiking trails where the lake meets the lower river, such as the Pitt-Addington Marsh part of Grant Narrows Regional Park where there is a parking lot with a dike that is good for hiking, bike rides, bird watching or just enjoying the lake. It is possible to rent canoes here if you want to explore via the water.

We were lucky enough to travel by boat from Ladner to the far end of Pitt Lake – where the upper river meets the lake – and explore some pretty off the beaten path wilderness. It is a pretty remote area, and we stayed at a nice lodge surrounded by this epic wilderness. It was completely silent at night.

We explored the upper river Canyon, where we found a really remote hot spring right next to the river, where we sat back and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of the river water racing through the canyon. The next morning we went down the river delta, where the 4 of us unsuccessfully attempted to go fishing. It was still a fun afternoon, even though we only caught 1 fish between us.

Our time on Pitt Lake was short, and that evening we left the wilderness behind and crossing the long expanse of the lake as we made our way back to the Fraser River and home. It was exciting to visit the wilderness so close to home. There are many wilderness escapes that are located in the mountains north of the Fraser Valley – including Buntzen, Coquitlam, Alouette, and Stave Lakes – which are popular for both day trips and overnight camping adventures.

Pitt Lake / Lower Pitt River:

Pitt Lake. 2006.

Pitt Lake Reflection. 2006.

Birds Nest. 2006.

Pitt Lake. 2006.

Lower Pitt River Bridge. 2006.

Pitt Lake. 2006.

Views of Waterfalls along Pitt Lake. 2006.

Pitt Lake. 2006.

Pitt Lake. 2006.

Pitt River. 2006.

Surrounded by Trees and Mountains. 2006.

Upper Pitt River:

Pitt River Waterfall. 2006.

Pitt River. 2006.

Pitt River secret hot springs (in the bottom left corner). 2006.

Waterfall. 2006.

Attempting to fly fish on the Pitt River. 2006

Pitt River Hot Springs. 2006.

Fishing on the Pitt River (it was also the only fish we caught). 2006.

Pitt River. 2006.